I am so excited for this weekend. We have a lot going on, and it's going to be great! I think working every third weekend makes me more appreciative of the long weekends I often have off as a nurse! That's one of the great things about working twelve-hour shifts. I can often schedule myself to work several days in a row, and then have the rest of the week off without using vacation! What a wonderful thing.
Tonight, we are going to our neighborhood block party. It should be a great way to meet some more of the neighbors! Since we are "the new kids on the block", there are a lot of neighbors we don't know yet. The weather is absolutely beautiful, just perfect for a party outdoors. It's warm, sunny, and with a nice breeze.
Tomorrow night is Chris' birthday barbeque! Chris turned 28 on Thursday. We've been wanting to have a barbeque at our house, and this is the perfect occasion. I've been busy all day getting ready for the party!
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Summer at it's best
Monday, July 28, 2008
Another fun weekend at the lake
Chris and I spent last weekend up at the lake with my family. We had a great time! The weather was perfect - sunny, hot, but cool in the evenings. My parents have a fifth wheel trailer in a seasonal park/campground. They actually keep it there year-round, but the park is officially "open" May through October. Many weekends in the summer, Chris and I head up there for some rest and relaxation. I truly grew up in this town. We used to camp in the state park on Lake Michigan for several weeks every summer. I have so many fond memories of that place! Last weekend, we took the boat to the state park. It was a bit rough, but we made it! We walked around the park, up to the "candy store" where Mom and I bought t-shirts, and back along the river. It truly was a wonderful afternoon. Saturday night, we had a potluck dinner with the neighbors and a campfire afterwards. Always a fun time! As it usually does, the weekend just flew by.
Today, I had the day off of work (tomorrow, too! One of the benefits of working the following weekend). I had to run some errands- go pick up one of Christopher's birthday presents being the main errand. I checked out the sales, they weren't all that great! I think I'll wait for the next markdown. I did find a few cute shirts at Target, and got some great things at Kohl's for 90% off. So, I guess I didn't do so bad! Then tonight, we met up with Chris' sister Lisa, her fiance Adam, one of their friends, and his Mom. Lisa and Adam were given a beautiful dining room table and china cabinet. We helped them load them up into Grandma H's basement, and finished the evening off with pizza. It was a good night.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Cooking mishaps...
I was all set to make a nice Sunday lunch today! On the menu: parmesan crusted chicken, fresh-baked dinner rolls, corn on the cob, and watermelon. I am getting ready to serve everything, the corn and rolls are all set... so, I take the chicken out of the oven. I am always extra cautious with chicken, so I cut into one of the pieces to make sure it was cooked all the way through. Much to my despair, the chicken was virtually RAW! Hmm. On to plan B. I'm still trying to figure out why the chicken didn't cook very well. I think it's probably because I put the chicken in a oval baker (you know, the Corningware French White kind), and maybe it didn't let the chicken get up to temperature. Oh well. I was going to bake banana bread this afternoon, but maybe I should wait!
(edited to add) By the way, my banana bread looks good, hopefully it tastes as good as it looks!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
I love weekends!
It's been an eventful weekend so far! Chris sliced open his knuckle this afternoon, so we spent some time at the urgent care center. Fortunately, he only needed a few stitches and they were able to fix him up there. I was really glad we were able to avoid a several-hour long wait at the ED. Finger/hand lacerations can be kinda tough sometimes because of all the tendons and ligaments, but luckily he missed those! Anyway. We ended up going out to dinner and had a nice evening after all the excitement. We started watching "Saving Private Ryan", which is very good so far. I'm not usually into the blood and guts war movies, but this movie really has my attention. We are about half way through, and since it's a long movie we're saving the rest for tomorrow night after church. Well, I'm tired. More later.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
It's hot.
I ran out to the mall and the grocery store today, and it is hot! According to weather.com, it's 85°F with 61% humidity. I would have guessed 95°! Now that I am so used to central air, I think I am much more intolerant of the summer heat.
You may not believe it, but I didn't buy a thing at the mall (other than lunch). There are a fair amount of decent sales, but nothing struck my fancy. I tried on a few things at American Eagle, and it definitely seems like their sizes run way smaller than they used to. Or maybe it's just me? I think I'd prefer to think that it's their sizes! The grocery store was pleasantly not-busy today. I basically stocked up on the basics, you know- eggs, yogurt, hotdog buns, watermelon (etc.) and I still couldnt make it out the door for less than fifty bucks! I just can't quite understand how quickly it adds up. I think I need to get the Sunday press for the coupons.
I have to work the next few days, and then it's a nice weekend off! We may be flying up north to visit my parents on Saturday. We'll have to see. We have a family friend who is a private pilot; typically once or twice a summer we fly up north (about 2 hours on the road) for kicks. It's always a fun time!
Whats for dinner tonight? Grilled hamburgers, corn on the cob, watermelon, grilled potatoes, and rice krispy treats. Delish!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Books, books, and more books!
I am an avid reader... when I have time! I love all kinds of books, from mystery to romance to historical fiction to Harry Potter. One of my favorite things about going on vacation is that I have time to read! I have been known to read 3-4 novels in a week-long vacation. Chris and I went to Barnes and Noble tonight, and I picked up a few new books by Emily Giffin: Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I am so excited, because I found them for $6 a piece! Here's a few tips for buying cheap books.
1) Check out the Used Books section at your local bookstore. Our B&N has a fairly large section - although it tends to get picked over. The best deals are the mass market paperbacks. They used to be 50 cents, but now they are $1.00 - still, not a bad price.
2) Most Goodwill and Salvation Army second-hand stores have a book section. I have found LOTS of good books there! It does take some patience and several trips, typically- but you can't beat their prices.
3) Amazon.com sells new and used books at a discount! Many times, I'll find a book I want to read at B&N and check it on Amazon.com, first. Many popular books are selling used for less than a dollar. New/very popular books typically sell used for about 50% of the new price. I also sell my books here! I tend to keep my favorites, but if it was just so-so, I'll put it online. I actually just sold a book, Barefoot by Elin Hildebrand. I bought it for $13.99, read it, then sold it for $8 + a shipping credit. Not too bad!
4) The Library - I can't forget to mention the library. Nothing beats free! I typically end up with overdue fines, though.
Here's my current book list for the next month or so:
The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner
I guess I'm on a bit of a chick-lit kick for the summer. The Other Boleyn Girl is actually turning out to be an excellent read. It's not my typical genre, but I'm glad I bought it!
These are some other authors I highly recommend: Sue Grafton, Janet Evonovich, Laura Wolf, Debbie Macomber, David Baldacci, John D. MacDonald, JK Rowling, and so many more. Do you have any recommendations for me? I love to check out new series/authors!
Jumping on...
My name is Megan, I'm 25 years old and work full-time as a RN in the ICU. I love to read, go to the beach, go camping, watch movies, travel, drink lattes... I am married to Chris. We have been married since January 11, 2008. Last year, we bought our first house.
(edited to add) - I can't believe I forgot to mention our little bundle of fur, Kenzie. She's our 11-month-old kitten, and she definitely rules the roost.
